MIY Artistry LLC is a gathering place in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where patrons can get in touch with his or her crafty side. We believe in bringing people together to work on individual crafts from out project menu, while providing a relaxing environment. If a customer is not in touch with his or her crafty side we hope to offer a fun experience for him or her to get in touch with that side.

I met the owner, Sabrina Price-Powell, at a recent head shot session in my studio. This former analyst and director had an experience on a trip and the idea for MIY Artistry was born. I love when people reach a point ion their life and decide to change it up and follow their passion. No matter how old you are, inexperienced or gun shy pull the trigger and go for it!

I was honored to be a part of her “tribe” as she called the people in the room this Saturday at a small gathering in the Glenside shop . Some of the crafts you can make are, luggage tags, wallets, flasks, passport holder and bracelets.

A new venture. new space and new friends all await at MIY Artistry. The official opening is on February 12th 2019. Go see Sabrina and her crew in Glenside! 107 S Easton Road, Unit 105 A Glenside, PA 19038

However, things didn’t exactly go as planned. I arrived with an awful cold that even the delicious Beignets and cafe Au Lait from Cafe Du Monde couldn’t remedy. The weather was a little colder than expected but I rallied and we had a wonderful time. Here are a few images from an early morning stroll through the French Quarter. Not many New Orleanians up and about at 8:00 am.

There are many great sections of Fairmount Park, but the 1,800 acres around Valley Green known as Wissahickon Park may be the most stunning. Ashley & Shay’s wedding took place here on October 21st 2018. The setting along the river stunning, and The Valley Green Inn had a cozy and elegant vibe. We could not get enough of The Wissahickon Valley Park with its incredible foliage at every turn.

Throughout the years, the Inn has been the focus of numerous paintings, postcards and writings, as well as the setting for many special occasions. T.A. Daily wrote in 1922 that, “The charm of Valley Green varies not only with the seasons, but with the day of the week and the hour of the day.

Its that time of year again!!! Family photos and what to wear is the dilemma du jour!

Textures and layers always look nice and add depth and detail to the photo. Knits, scarves and sweaters for the fall and winter portraits are great on camera!

Solids colors are best. Busy, loud patterns or logos will draw too much attention in your photos, so solids are always a safe bet!

Avoid clothes with fine, repetitive lines typically found on men’s dress shirts or suits. These detailed lines can be difficult for the camera to register and may appear as wavy lines instead.

Avoid wearing loud or fluorescent colors since it can be distracting when looking at a photos and the colors can reflect on your face. So, unless you want to be bright orange, it’s best to stay away from fluorescents.

IRON your wardrobe! I can’t stress this enough. Every detail will show up in your portraits, so be sure to iron out any wrinkles, remove lint and loose threads.

Don’t over-do accessories.

If you wear eye glasses all the time, feel free to bring them, but if you can do without your glasses or have contact lenses, this is a better option. Eyeglasses can cause a reflection of light or objects.

Everyone should dress in a similar-style, for example: All casual or all formal. Even the shoe styles should be consistent. In other words, don’t have some family members with closed-toed shoes and others with flip-flops in the same photo.

Shirts and dress colors should be within the same color palette or be complimentary colors, rather than everyone in identical colors. Identical colors tend to look too “matchy”.

Pants and skirts can be similar or identical in color, for example: light denim, dark denim, tan khakis.

Women’s clothing is more colorful than men’s clothing. I always tell Moms to start with picking a color they like best for the girls, then put the guys in a more neutral color. Super cute when Moms and daughters throw a splash of similar color with an accessory like a matching scarf or headband. Here are some great combinations!

Fall Family Picture Outfit Ideas

There are recognizable markers that trigger the “fall feeling” in each of us. With the weather cooling down, the leaves changing, and a trip to the pumpkin patch in the near future, fall is full of inspiration you can use for your outfit choices. If you are taking your family photos during the fall season, incorporate seasonal earth tones, rich maroons or burnt oranges. Wear layers and have fun playing in the leaves. Use the following Fall color arrangements and styling tips to guide your clothing selections.

Fall outfits are all about the layers! Plus, wearing layers makes for a quick outfit change too.

Take advantage of the colorful fall leaves and let them inspire your outfit choices.

I first met Madalyn through Dave Barrus. She was playing Carrie in a production of Carousel at the Media Theatre. Finally a year later we teamed up and captured some amazing headshots. watch out for this one!

“Madalyn St. John plays a cute and spunky Carrie Pipperidge, bringing a welcome breath of fresh air to the production.”
​– Broadway World

Madalyn is currently a member of Playhouse West Philadelphia, a community of actors who continuously pursue excellence in their craft
through regular training and the creation of new film and theatre.

The college application process can seem intimidating, especially if students don’t have parents or siblings who have already been through it and can offer advice.

Since there are so many steps, such as writing an essay and obtaining letters of recommendation, experts say a good way for students to get started is to create a to-do list during their junior year of high school.

Though there is often prep work that happens beforehand, students generally begin filling out college applications the summer between their junior and senior year of high school, experts say.

Some College applications are requiring photos! Especially performing art schools and conservatories. It is hard enough to get accepted, make your best impression with professional admission pics! A great way to complete your package!

Brian James photo Studio is looking for Outgoing High School Seniors.

What is the Ambassador Program?
Ambassadors act as marketing reps for Brian James Photo Studios’ Senior Picture Department.
As an Ambassador, you will receive a free portrait session to be taken at either the photo studio or on location.

After your session, we’ll review your images and choose one for your Senior Ambassador modeling cards. Your Ambassador Cards are business card prints that include the image we’ve chosen, your name and Brian James Photo Studio contact information. Your job then will be to hand out to your friends who are Junior and Seniors. Additionally we’ll tag you with studio branded (watermarked) photos on Facebook and create a timeline image for your own Facebook.

It’s as simple as that. A free Senior photo and all you need to do is to tell your friends about how much fun and what a positive experience was. We want you to encourage them to choose Brian James Photo Studio for their Senior Portraits.

How are Ambassadors Chosen?
Senior Ambassadors are chosen based an application.

How do I start?
Please email us for an application. We are looking for someone outgoing, photogenic and active students willing to promote Brian James Photo Studio.

What do you get?
Your friends must mention your name when booking their session for you to get credit. We know you’re working hard for us and we want to reward hard work!!! As you accumulate referrals, you earn points!

Each referral is 50 Points which equals $50 in photography fees or prints…

I recently had the pleasure of working with Emily Trask during a headshot session at the Studio. Her shots were effortless and we had a lot of fun.

Check out Emily in a one woman show Friday August 24th at Quintessence Theatre in Mt Airy Philadelphia.

An Iliad

Quintessence Theatre Group is proud to host a special reading of An Iliad by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare, starring Emily Trask on August 24th at 7:30pm.

Homer and the primal roots of oral tradition are invoked in a modern retelling of the oldest and deadliest tale of all time, The Iliad. Drawing on Robert Fagles’ acclaimed translation of the epic poem, Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare’s award-winning play, An Iliad, charges a lone Poet to sing the song of the deadly force of humanity doomed to repeat itself throughout the ages.

Fresh from a critically acclaimed, sold out run at The Hope Summer Repertory Theatre in Western Michigan, actress Emily Trask dons the mantle of the Poet once more for a one night only benefit reading supporting the American Friends Service Committee – an organization devoted to service, development and peace programs throughout the world (https://www.afsc.org/).